Ten stories from The Key that got you excited in 2012

The amount of news that surfaces in a 24 hour period is astronomical anymore; multiplied by 365, that’s an onslaught of information we present you with during the calendar year. But some items always rise above the fold and prove to be something bigger. Here are the ten stories from The Key that drew your collective attention (and eyeballs) in 2012.

Jersey-bred rocker (and heartthrob) Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi played a Free at Noon concert at the beginning of the fall. It was the first show of his tour with a new backing band, and lots of you turned up to cheer him on. Even more of you tuned in online, and continued to revisit the set weeks after it happened.

A criminally overlooked album in the year’s various top-tens (and I’m as guilty as anyone), Philly punk rock four-piece The Menzingers released the outstanding On The Impossible Past on Epitaph Records this year, and toured hard in support of it. Their Key Studio Session show just how razor sharp their playing was after months on the road.

The sudden passing of Harrisburg-area music promoter and community advocate Michael “Jersey Mike” Van Jura was a huge blow to the music scene across the state. The day after his passing, we remembered him in this post.

As the year drew to a close, Bruce Warren not only recounted everything that was great about Philly music this year with a massive roll-call, he presented a round-up of 15 releases that will make 2013 even bigger.

With one of my all-time favorite bands reunited and playing the Electric Factory this fall, I took the opportunity to round up some of my favorite covers it recorded over the years. The Afghan Whigs must have appreciated my nerdery, as they shared the story out to their followers, and suddenly Whigs listeners from across the country were checking in.

Technically a post from late last year that generated some serious excitement this year as mewithoutYou, the post-hardcore art rock group from Upper Darby, reflected on ten years of being a band and debuted material from their excellent 2012 LP Ten Stories in this Key Studio Session video.

I happened to be checking Facebook one afternoon when I saw a few of my friends liking and sharing a photo that Violators guitarist Jesse Trbovich snapped of the new Kurt Vile mural at Front and Master, which will be used in the album art for his upcoming 2013 full length. I quickly dropped Jesse a line, got his okay to run the photo, and Vile fans across the internet went abuzz.

One of those rare confluences of factors that’s somehow magic. Ellie Goulding, a UK pop singer we love, covered a banger from The Weeknd, a singer blogs go wild for, and it was produced by Xaphoon Jones of Chiddy Bang, one of our favorite hometown heroes. That mix equaled The Key’s third most-viewed story of the year.

The Twelve Days of Christmas compilations we release not only give Philadelphia artists a chance to reflect on the season in song, they become a huge favorite among the XPN crowd. This year’s was by far the most popular, with originals in the mix from York Street Hustle, Ben Smith and Ryan Tennis, and bonus “stocking stuffers” from Tin Bird Choir and The Districts.

It’s a funny recurring feat, but also a huge reflection of music tastes in the greater Philadelphia region – The Boss always comes out on top. What made this post exciting wasn’t just the first taste of new material from Wrecking Ball, but the discussion that ensued in the comments – conversation about the song, sharing of memories, and a general sense of rock and roll camaraderie, all bound by Bruce Springsteen.

Leave a Reply

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

Support The Key

What do you think?

Did you find what you were looking for? Was this page helpful?
Let us know

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH